C4EO - Our people

C4EO draws on a consortium of core partners: National Children’s Bureau (NCB); National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER); Research in Practice (RIP) and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). It works closely with a number of other strategic and de­livery partners and in close consultation with the Association of Directors of Children’s Serv­ices (ADCS). C4EO works with local services drawing on expert practitioners from across the Children’s Sector, national experts, and representatives from a broad range of academic and research institutions, recruited to work for C4EO on a part time basis. All our people have cred­ible personal histories of improving outcomes for children, and are focussed on using the best available evidence to deliver. The benefit of this unique workforce is that our team have a sound understanding of the current issues facing the sector and can therefore provide genuine peer to peer support to build capacity and improve outcomes.

• C4EO Staff
• Function Leads
• Theme Leads and Theme Chairs
• C4EO User Groups
• Regional Associates

C4EO staff

Function Leads

Sharon O'Donnell – Knowledge Management

Sharon O’Donnell is Head of the International Information Unit at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). S he is also Head of the Eurydice Unit for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, based at NFER. Sharon has been with NFER for 16 years, amassing extensive experience in information services management and national and international policy information on education. Sharon also chairs the Foundation’s Leadership Forum, is a member of the Departmental Management team in NFER’s Research, Evaluation and Information Department (REID, and is involved in a number of international research projects at the NFER.

Amanda Edwards – Outputs and Dissemination

Amanda Edwards is Head of Knowledge Services at the Social Care Institute for Excellence, (SCIE) and a member of the senior management team reporting to the Chief Executive. Amanda is responsible for the delivery of SCIE’s work programme, which includes reviewing the evidence, the production and dissemination of tools and materials for practice and the development of web-based services such as Social Care Online.

Dez Holmes– Capacity Building

Dez Holmes is the Programme Manager for C4EO responsible for Capacity Building. Dez has frontline experience within social care and youth offending services. Prior her current role, Dez was employed by a Local Authority and worked across directorates (Children & Young People’s Services and Neighbourhoods), managing and coordinating integrated early intervention services to families.

She chaired multi-agency Locality Panels as part of this role and previously managed a multi-agency youth justice programme (YISP). Other experience includes working as a lecturer in Social Work MSc and several years of training and workforce development.

Ivana La Valle – Evaluation

Ivana La Valle is the Director of Research, Evidence and Evaluation at the national Children’s Bureau (NCB). Prior to this she was at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) where she directed a group specialising in research on children and their families. Since the introduction of the National Childcare Strategy in 1998, Ivana has been involved in some key studies which have been used to monitor the implementation of the Strategy and inform its development.

While at NatCen she co-directed the evaluation of Children’s Centres, a large scale, mixed methods study which aims to provide a powerful and wide-range evidence-base on the best way of supporting children and their families. She also set up the evaluation and monitoring of Family Support Projects (FIPs), which provide intensive support to families with the highest level of need.

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Theme Leads and Theme Chairs

Sue Owen - Theme Lead and Theme Chair for Early Years

Sue Owen is the Director of the Well-being Department at the National Children's Bureau and was previously Director of the Early Childhood Unit there. In the past she has held a number of posts in the early childhood field including Early Years Lead Officer for Humberside County Council, Information Officer for the National Childminding Association, Playgroup Adviser for Manchester City Council, and Deputy Director of the Early Years National Training Organisation. Sue's latest book is Authentic Relationships in Group Care for Infants and Toddlers – RIE Principles into Practice (co-editor with Stephanie Petrie). Her doctoral dissertation was on the development of professionalism in childminding.

Celia Atherton - Theme Lead and Theme Chair for Disability

Celia Atherton started as a social worker in 1976 and has worked in local authorities as a practitioner and manager, and in the voluntary sector as social work advisor and then Director of Family Rights Group. Celia has co-ordinated the dissemination and implementation strategies of two DfES research programmes - Fostering Now: messages from research and Costs and Outcomes of Services for Children in Need, and is doing the same for DCSF for the Quality Matters research programme. In addition to being a member of the Nuffield Foundation's Child Protection and Family Justice Committee, she is also a member of the Advisory Board for the English and Romanian Adoptees Study, the National Academy for Parenting Practitioners Scientific Advisory Group, the Editorial Advisory Board for the Children & Young People Now journal, the International Editorial Advisory Board of Evidence and Policy, and NFER's Advisory Group. She was awarded an OBE for services to children and families in the 2007 New Year's Honours.

Mary Sainsbury - Theme Lead for Vulnerable (Looked After) Children

Mary Sainsbury is the Vulnerable Children Theme Lead based at the Social Care Institute for Excellence. Mary is a registered social worker who has held posts as a social worker and senior social worker for Islington Local Authority, hospital social work manager for the local borough of Hackney, child protection chair for Newham, and child protection chair, and policy and development officer with the local borough of Camden. 

Amanda Edwards - Theme Chair for Vulnerable (Looked After) Children

Amanda Edwards is Head of Knowledge Services at the Social Care Institute for Excellence, ( SCIE) and a member of the senior management team reporting to the Chief Executive. Amanda is responsible for the delivery of SCIE’s work programme, which includes reviewing the evidence, the production and dissemination of tools and materials for practice and the development of web-based services such as Social Care Online.

Helen Goody - Theme Lead for Child Poverty

Helen Goody has worked for Kent County Council for the past three years as a Joint Commissioning Officer with a responsibility for planning and commissioning preventative and early intervention services for children and young people with a range of partners. She has also had a change management role influencing the development of local children's services partnerships in Kent. Before that, Helen was a Programme Manager for integrated children's services at the Local Government Association and in particular, worked with national partners to influence the development of Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004.

Catherine Fitt - Theme Chair for Child Poverty

Catherine Fitt did a degree in Experimental Psychology at St Hugh's College, Oxford University and teacher training at Goldsmith's College, University of London.  After three years teaching in London she returned to education, doing a Masters Degree in Child Development and qualifying as a psychologist from the Institute of Education, University of London.

Catherine worked as an educational psychologist in Hampshire and on Teesside until nine years ago when she moved into management and administration, working for children's services ever since, moving from the post of Change Leader of Children's Services at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council in April 2005 to become the Executive Director of Children's Services at Newcastle City Council.

Catherine is currently Strategic Director of Children’s Services at the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services.

Trish Kearney – Theme Lead for Safeguarding

Patricia Kearney is Head of Children & Families Services at SCIE and is a registered social worker. Prior to this she was Head of Practice Development at NISW. Patricia has held a number of practitioner and manager posts, with particular experience in child protection remits within adult mental health services.

She worked for several years as lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University London, delivering the PG qualifying social work and advanced family work programmes and as an honorary family therapist at the Maudsley Hospital Children's Department.

John Coughlan – Theme Chair for Safeguarding

John Coughlan has been Director of Children’s Services in Hampshire County Council since 2005.  Previously he was Corporate Director of Social Care in Telford and Wrekin Council and Assistant Director for Children and Families in Dudley Council.  His professional and managerial background was in Birmingham, primarily working with children in care.

Having been Chair of the Children and Families Committee of ADSS for two years, he became that association’s last President in 2006, before becoming Joint President of the Association of Director’s of Children’s Services. 

Among other roles he has been a member of the Beacon Panel and the Lifting the Burdens Taskforce.  He holds a degree in English and Art History, a CQSW and MBA.

John was awarded a CBE in the 2009 New Year honours list in recognition of his work for children’s services.

Sharon O'Donnell - Theme Lead for Schools and Communities

Sharon O’Donnell is Head of the International Information Unit at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). She is also Head of the Eurydice Unit for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, based at NFER. Sharon has been with NFER for 16 years, amassing extensive experience in information services management and national and international policy information on education. Sharon also chairs the Foundation’s Leadership Forum, is a member of the Departmental Management team in NFER’s Research, Evaluation and Information Department (REID0, and is involved in a number of international research projects at the NFER.

Neil Wilson – Theme Chair for Schools and Communities

Neil is Executive Headteacher at Newall Green High School, and Benchill Primary School 3-19 Federation in Wythenshawe, Manchester. The 11-19 school has three specialisms: Expressive and Performing Arts (2000), Science with Mathematics (2004), and Vocational (2006), It is an oversubscribed sixth form intake 11-19 community school. There are 1482 students within the federation. The school has recently opened a sixth form and has completed at BSF building programme. It recently featured on the promotional DVD for the DCSF for the 21st Century Schools consultation. The federation has children with SLD, MLD and physical disabilities. It operates its own full service school provision, including a social worker and CAMHS team. Family support workers operate across the federation. Neil’s team also manages the school leisure centre which runs holiday clubs for vulnerable young people.

In an area that is dominated by Manchester United and Manchester City supporters, he maintains neutrality by supporting Stockport County for whom he was once on the coaching staff.

Sue Quinn - Theme Lead for Youth

Sue joined the National Youth Agency in 2004 and is an experienced National Programme Manager with an extensive background in services for young people. Her current role with the Agency is National Programme Manager - IYSS, with responsibility for a diverse portfolio including the 14-19 Agenda, and the improvement, quality and integration developments within Integrated Youth Support Services.

Previously Sue has been a Principal Youth Officer in the Merseyside area where she took lead responsibility for establishing and managing a restructure to create a more effective, responsive and creative service. With more than twenty five years experience, Sue has an extensive range of experience in both the voluntary and statutory youth sectors managing a variety of young people’s services.

John Harris - Theme Chair for Youth

John Harris has been Hertfordshire’s Director of Children, Schools and Families since 2003. He joined Hertfordshire after a distinguished career in education, local government and the private sector. John is Chair of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) Policy Committee on Families, Communities and Young People, and contributes to a number of national developments in children’s services.

Anne Page - Theme Lead for Families, Parents and Carers

Anne Page is Policy Manager at the Family and Parenting Institute, where she is responsible for policy development, public affairs and parliamentary work. She is the author of a recent FPI research report about partnerships between schools and parents. She has led pilots and rollouts of a new initiatives to support families and parents.

Previously she worked at the NHS West London Health Promotion Agency and as a freelance writer and consultant for the education & health services. She has written numerous articles on parenting, child development and health and been a regular contributor to radio. She co-edited 'Changing Minds', published by Gaskell Press, a self-help book for families affected by mental health issues.

She worked for thirteen years as a lecturer in further education, where she set up Student Services in two colleges and pioneered counselling courses in the 1980s. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts.

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C4EO User Groups

Anne Page - Parents and Carers Panel

Anne Page is Policy Manager at the Family and Parenting Institute, where she is responsible for policy development, public affairs and parliamentary work. She is the author of a recent FPI research report about partnerships between schools and parents. She has led pilots and rollouts of a new initiatives to support families and parents.

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